war-whoop. Immediately the dancing ceased and the men ran to and
fro in confusion; but Clark, stepping forward, bade them be at
their ease, but to remember that henceforth they danced under the
flag of the United States, and not under that of Great Britain.

The surprise was complete, and no resistance was attempted. For
twenty-four hours the Creoles were in abject terror. Then Clark
summoned their chief men together and explained that he came as
their ally, and not as their foe, and that if they would join
with him they should be citizens of the American republic, and
treated in all respects on an equality with their comrades. The
Creoles, caring little for the British, and rather fickle of
nature, accepted the proposition with joy, and with the most
enthusiastic loyalty toward Clark. Not only that, but sending
messengers to their kinsmen on the Wabash, they persuaded the
people of Vincennes likewise to cast off their allegiance to the
British king, and to hoist the American flag.

So far, Clark had conquered with greater ease than he had dared
to hope. But when the news reached the British governor,
Hamilton, at Detroit, he at once prepared to reconquer the land.
He had much greater forces at his command than Clark had; and in
the fall of that year he came down to Vincennes by stream and
portage, in a great fleet of canoes bearing five hundred fighting
men-British regulars, French partizans, and Indians. The
Vincennes Creoles refused to fight against the British, and the
American officer who had been sent thither by Clark had no
alternative but to surrender.

If Hamilton had then pushed on and struck Clark in Illinois,